An agricultural work machine such as a combine or windrower is frequently used to harvest a variety of crops from a field. A combine or windrower often has a special head coupled to the work machine at a front end. The head is specifically designed to correspond with the particular crop being cut and distributed by, the head. One type of head is a draper head that has a belt located behind the cutting blade. As the crop is cut, the crop is positioned onto the belt to be further manipulated and prepared by the work machine.
While the draper head is commonly used on a windrower or combine, many types of crop require a rotary head instead. A rotary head often has a cutter bar that has several rotating cutting units therealong. Once the crop is cut, the rotary head manipulates the cut crop to become aligned in a desired location or further processes through a conditioner.
The draper head and the rotary head may have separate mounting locations disposed along the front of the work machine. The mechanical and hydraulic demands for the work machine are similar for a draper head and a rotary head but an entirely separate work machine is often used for each application.